Large Portion of BBC Library Leaving Netflix UK in March 2020

A large portion of the BBC library on Netflix UK is due to depart the service at the end of March 2020. It comes as the BBC begins moving its programs away from the likes of Amazon Prime and Netflix in the UK in favor of its own streaming services BBC iPlayer and Britbox. 

Update (05/03/2020): We’ve had a couple of developments since our first publishing of this article. Firstly, Netflix has confirmed that Extras and The Office will no longer be renewed. Whether this extends to other BBC titles has yet to be seen.

In addition, a BBC journalist reached out to the BBC for comment who responded with:

“BBC Studios licenses content to a range of customers and partners in the UK. We wouldn’t generally comment on commercial details, including the licence term for specific titles.”

More on this as we get it.

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Original Story

All the titles that are listed below are scheduled to leave Netflix on March 30th, 2020. The list features a wide range of titles, including multiple comedy series, documentaries, kids television, and a few dramas that will come off the service.

Some of the highlights include comedy greats such as old classics like Fawlty Towers, The Two Ronnies and A Bit of Fry and Laurie. Modern classic comedies such as The Office, Extras and That Mitchell and Webb Look are also due to expire.

All of the titles scheduled to leave are likely headed to BritBox, a new subscription service from ITV and BBC that requires an additional subscription fee.

We’ve known for some time the big BBC purge from Netflix UK was coming. Although it’s a large portion, there’s still plenty of big BBC shows remaining at least for a while. Blackadder, Doctor Who, Planet Earth, Sherlock, Peaky Blinders, In the Dark, Doctor Foster, Line of Duty and many more series are set to remain for the foreseeable future.

Last year, it was reported that the “vast majority” of British shows would slowly be removed in favor of the new streaming service Britbox.

This is obviously a contentious issue at the moment given the debate around the license fee and when the BBC refers to removing its titles from wide consumption as “coming home” it’s easy to see where the controversy lies. It’s also been reported that BritBox is struggling to attract subscribers in its first year.

Here’s the full list of BBC titles set to leave Netflix at the end of March:

BBC Comedy Series Leaving Netflix on March 30th

• A Bit of Fry and Laurie (4 Seasons)
• Absolutely Fabulous (6 Seasons)
• Almost Royal (2 Seasons)
• Daniel Deronda (1 Season)
• Extras (2 Seasons)
• Fawlty Towers (2 Seasons)
• French and Saunders (6 Seasons)
• Harry Enfield and Chums (2 Seasons)
• Harry Enfield Presents… (1 Season)
• Porridge (3 Seasons)
• Rock & Chips (Season 1)
• That Mitchell and Webb Look (4 Seasons)
• The Job Lot (3 Seasons)
• The Office (U.K.) (2 Seasons)
• The Royle Family (3 Seasons)
• The Thick of It (4 Seasons)
• The Trip (2 Seasons)
• The Two Ronnies (4 Seasons)
• Victoria Wood: As Seen on TV (2 Seasons)

BBC Drama Leaving Netflix on March 30th

• Parade’s End (Season 1)
• The Secret of Crickley Hall (Season 1)
• War & Peace (Season 1)

BBC Kids Series Leaving Netflix on March 30th

• Go Jetters (Season 1)
• Hey Duggee (Season 1)
• Horrible Histories (5 Seasons)
• The Next Step (5 Seasons)

BBC Docuseries Leaving Netflix on March 30th

• Africa (Season 1)
• Diana: Seven Days That Shook the World (Season 1)
• Hiroshima (Season 1)
• Joel & Nish vs The World (Season 1)
• Life (Season 1)
• Louis Theroux: Miami Mega Jail (2011)
• Stupid Man, Smart Phone (Season 1)
• The Great British Bake Off (7 Seasons)
• The Hunt (Season 1)
• Wild Alaska (Season 1)
• Wild Japan (Season 1)

The United States is also seeing a bit of a BBC purge but has been taking place of the course of several years. Just recently, it lost some of the big David Attenborough titles in December and is set to see Father Brown and Dad’s Army (among other titles) leave at the end of March too.